World’s First Self-Replicating 3D Printer Assembles in Just 30 Minutes

If you’re thinking of buying a 3D printer, why not get one that can replicate itself? Boots Industries’ new BI V2.0 3D printer can produce parts of a clone that can be assembled in a mere 30 minutes. You can 3D print and improve upon and share components without having to go through such tricky steps as stringing the pulleys or wiring the towers.

Jean Le Bouthillier, MSc and Francois Crete, BEng founded Boots Industries in 2012 in order to manufacture affordable 3D printing equipment with high quality end results. Their newest model, the BI V2.0 3D printer, uses PLA, ABS, Nylon and other materials that extrude at temperatures of up to 240 degrees Celsius. The structure of the printer is made of steel with reinforced 3D-printed corners and ¾ inch anodized aluminium extrusions.

The printer’s hot end comes with a modified 4mm push fitting that allows the PTFE tube to lock in place. The modifications introduced by the creators allow for high speed 3D printing and eliminate the possibility of clogging.

The 3D printer doesn’t need a computer- it can be operated through the use of an integrated LCD controller, which has all the key functions. The user can set up the speed of 3D printing, temperatures, etc. The machine has a 4 GB SD card which can hold around 2,500 print files.

Boots Industries launched a Kickstarter campaign to advance the design and production, and have created an initial delivery schedule. For pledges of $80 and higher, users will receive all the BI V2.0 components for assembling their first 3D printer.